I was due May 20, 2014 with a baby boy. I never expected anything bad to happen because I had a good, pretty easy pregnancy. I was 36 weeks pregnant and I started feeling more tired and I started to get pain in my kidneys. I have had kidney problems since I was a baby so I figured it was that. So I just went on with my day. A little later on the pain got so severe I couldn't get comfortable and I tried to take anything to ease the pain.
I woke up that night with the worst kidney pain I've ever had in my life. I had my mom take me to the ER. There they have me morphine, which barely helped and then switched me over to labor and delivery. There they monitored me and gave me pain... Read More

I am a physician and the mother of a 2 year old daughter born after a long struggle with infertility. I really believed that planning our second child for 18 months later would be a second infertility treatment success. I thought I had endured as much hardship as a young mother could be dealt in her family building journey. But at just 16 weeks, I snuck a peek at my baby while at work with a colleague who was similarly pregnant. Her baby nicely displayed his gender identifying parts to us on the ultrasound. Mine was very difficult to see; there seemed to be very little amniotic fluid. Frustrated, I mentioned it at my routine prenatal appointment. And suddenly we were off to the... Read More

My battle with preeclampsia started just a week ago, literally. Up until last Monday, I had the fairytale pregnancy: no morning sickness, no lack of energy, no problems whatsoever. I went into my pregnancy very fit and active-I completed a 200 mile bike ride at 4 months pregnant and ran in a half marathon at 6.5 months and always had great blood pressure and health. So, finding out that I had a serious medical condition/pregnancy complication was something that neither my husband nor myself were prepared for.
About a month ago (beginning of November), I noticed that I had somehow put on quite a bit of... Read More

I had a normal healthy pregnancy, excited I was having the first set of twins in my family. At the end of my second trimester I was so miserable and uncomfortable (I was only 98 lbs when I got pregnant) that my doctor put me on bed rest. I noticed one of the babies wasn't moving much but all the doctors and ultrasounds showed 2 happy healthy babies but put me on the kick-count. Two nights later my husband takes me to the hospital where they find extremely high BP and I'm about to have a.seizure. For 4 days I'm on constant supervision, magnesium and steroids. On the 5th day I am 32 weeks to the day. I missed my baby shower. Since they cannot stabilize me they take me into emergency... Read More

Even though it has been nine years since my last pregnancy and bout with preeclampsia, I have never truly gotten over the scare of it all. I was lucky, my babies came early, they survived and thrived. I was blessed to have a husband who is a pediatrician and knew that he needed to rush me to my doctor. I am lucky that when I woke up at home, choking on my own saliva and feeling a "zing"- I don't know how else to describe it- I recovered. Please trust your instincts! This is my advise to whoever may read this. Lying in my hospital bed May 31, 2000 with my five pound little man in my arms, I just "didn't feel right." I never once had high blood pressure in my life, usually on the low side... Read More

This was technically my second pregnancy, I'd lost my first to a miscarriage. We wanted a baby so badly so every little twinge, spot or cramp made me so scared. But as it turns out, I was worrying about the wrong things. I'd been diagnosed with PIH early on in my pregnancy but honestly, I never gave it a second thought. I figured it was just something that happens with pregnancy and it was no big deal. Again, I was wrong.
At 28 weeks, I'd gone in for a routine check up. I remember sitting in the lobby planning what to make for dinner. I was called back, they took my blood pressure and it was high. It's usually high at first, I was a teacher and they... Read More

My story begins with my first pregnancy which was twins. I found out at 3 weeks I was pregnant with twins and was super nervous but excited at the same time. I had a rough half of my pregnancy. I was high risk because I was pregnant with twins and because of my blood type. The first half of my pregnancy I was very sick with nausea and horrible headaches. I also had pregnancy hypertension. At 23 weeks I was at home. My husband was about to leave for work when I had passed out at home. He took me to the hospital and they did blood work, checked my blood pressure and diagnosed me with preeclampsia. I was transferred later that afternoon to a much bigger hospital that could handle the birth... Read More

My story begins the Saturday morning my phone went off saying today I was 30 weeks. I was so excited. I remember thinking I am 30 weeks my baby can live on her own if she had to. Was that a curse that I thought that way or way I just being a paranoid mom to be. No one very tells you the day you find out your pregnant is the day you start to worry about your child for the rest of your life. I had not even met her but I was already so protective of her. From about 20 weeks I started to swell really bad in my legs and hands. My doctor did not seem to be concerned. I was, but I thought well maybe I was just being really sensitive. My mother, mother in law and sister were concerned as well on... Read More

I arrived at my obstetrician's clinic on a Wednesday afternoon after work for a routine check up at 34 weeks in my first pregnancy. I had been feeling a little unwell, but just 'pregnant' I thought - big, uncomfortable, swollen, and perhaps like I had drunk a little too much coffee... I was diagnosed with very high blood pressure and 3+ protein in urea and ultimately with severe pre-eclampsia, despite so far maintaining a regular (albeit low) blood pressure of 90/60, even at my last appointment just two weeks prior. My obstetrician insisted on immediate hospitilisation - a great shock as I had planned on attending yoga after this appointment, and had another three weeks of work left...He... Read More

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 7:30am
Waking up this morning, the only thing out of the ordinary was that my left hand was a little more swollen than normal. I thought it was a little odd that all of the swelling that I was experiencing seemed confined to my left side - my left hand, left foot, left side of my face. However, as fast as these thoughts entered my brain, they were quickly shrugged off as "symptoms of being 30 weeks pregant" (to the day) and/or from lack of sleep.
As I got myself ready for our 8am checkup appointment, I randomly thought, "Anita probably has the flu and won't be there." Anita is one of our midwives, and like a... Read More

Well I guess I should start my labor story on Jan 7 2013 at 32w2d. It was a normal work day and I had a dr appt for the start of my 2x weekly NSTs. At the appt my BP was 175/99. Started the NST but couldn't keep baby on monitor. Had a u/s and she was sleeping but "breathing". Rechecked my BP and it was 169/100. Sent straight to hospital direct admitted for 24 hour urine and blood draws. Received the first of 2 steroid shots. Was on continuous fetal monitoring with bathroom privileges.
On Wed morning the first resident told me my levels were high but I could probably be treated as a outpatient. I was excited. Fast forward a few hours and the attending... Read More

During my pregnancy with my son Grayson, I became very ill. At 34 weeks I was rushed to the hospital for an emergency c-section. The doctor told me I had pre eclampsia as a response to my son's growth restriction. He told me I would have been dead within 48 hours had they not delivered my son. Grayson was born only 2 lbs 14 oz, when he was 7 days old he passed away from Necrotizing Enterocolitis. Here is our story of love, loss, hope, and a very special NICU nurse.

I found out I had pre eclampsia during my 28 week check up. Midwife noticed my blood pressure was higher than usual, checked my urine and there was protein in it. Her quick thinking got me admitted to our local hospital to be monitored.
My blood pressure went up to 170/120 on day 4 of being in hospital, I was then transferred 45 minutes away to another hospital because the hospital I was in did not take baby's born under 30 weeks in their Scbu. On 29/09/2014 I was told after having an ultra sound that my baby had to be delivered that night by emergency section.
The full effect of pre eclampsia set in on the Sunday night to early Monday morning. I was told the day... Read More

My story starts a little bit different than most, you see I had been learning about obstetrics for 2 years prior. I am an Ob/Gyn resident and I was in my second year when I found out I was pregnant. I had a completely uneventful pregnancy...until I didn't. At 33 weeks, my blood pressure was mildly elevated and my doctor was concerned and asked me to modify my work schedule a bit and go visit the MFM. Knowing a little too much, I called my doctor in tears after my appointment and asked him if I could maybe get steroids "just in case." So, in the next few days I received my steroid injections and monitored my blood pressure and everything stayed "okay." ... Read More

I won't go into great detail about my first two pregnancies. Basically I had severe pree with both. Emergency c-sections; first baby born at 36 weeks. Second pregnancy born at 34 weeks, 1.5 week nicu stay. So thankful that my children and I survived but I was feeling down about how the pregnancies went and were cut short. I thought I would never be able to have another baby. 3 years after my 2nd baby I got pregnant with my 3rd. I am happy and so thankful to say I had a 9 lb. 6 oz baby girl delivered c-section at 39 weeks!! No problems NO PREE!!! I took supplements and prayed! There is hope! Never give up and dont let fear take over your life!

My story starts 13 years ago: O was 16 and pregnant coming from a big family myself I never saw myself having kids, but there I was 16 and pregnant. Of course being so young, I had my mom's help with going to Dr appointments and helping get ready for what was to come.
Around 20 weeks I started to have back pain. When I went to the Dr they said I might have a small bladder infection and sent me on my way. On my next visit, my blood pressure was really high. They stuck me in a dark room and told me to relax for a while. 30 min later, they took my blood pressure again and it only went down a little. My doctor sent me up to labor and delivery. There they started running test and an... Read More

I was twenty years old when I had my first born, my daughter Kylie. I had a reasonably perfect pregnancy with no signs of complications throughout. I went to my ob-gyn on july 26, for my scheduled visit. Still no signs of any problems, she said it was my choice to be induced that night or wait for my water to break seeing as how the next day (July 27) was my due date. I decided to wait, to see if I can go into labor on my own. That night, I felt the worst pain of my life. It felt like I was being continually run over by a semi truck. My vision kept going out, and I started throwing up. Kylie's dad asked if I needed help, and I told him to call someone to come help me. When he went to... Read More

I am 20 years old and just delivered my first child six weeks ago. Preeclampsia has run in my family for about four generations now. My Great-grandmother, great-aunt, grandmother, aunt, and mother all had it so we expected that it was a possibility for me to get it. I told this to my doctor as soon as i found out i was pregnant. He either didn't record it or didn't remember it. In any case at 22 weeks I went into the ER becasue i had sevear Hypertention and didn't feel my baby for a few hours. I had a blood pressure of 165/115 when I got there, but the hospital that I went to didn't have a maternity ward so didn't think anything of it and sent me home. I tried to call my doctor four... Read More

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Should you wish to review or make corrections to your personal information, please click Login/Join at the top of the page and enter your login information. A page titled "Edit Your Details" will appear in the main body of the page where you can view and make corrections. If you wish to be removed entirely from our database, please email info@preeclampsia.org.

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Privacy Policy

Normal web site usageThe Preeclampsia Foundation has a firm commitment to Internet privacy. You can visit most portions of preeclampsia.org without telling us who you are and without revealing any personal information. The only information we collect from a normal web site visit is the name of your Internet Service Provider, the browser and type of machine you are using, the web site that referred you to us, the pages you request and the date and time you request them. We use this information to generate statistics and measure site activity to improve the usefulness of the site to our visitors.

Collection of personally identifiable informationThe Preeclampsia Foundation may collect names, email addresses and other personally identifiable data about visitors when such data is voluntarily submitted to preeclampsia.org. For example, our site uses forms for visitors to register or make a donation online. Contact information from these forms is used to send information about preeclampsia or Foundation activity to our visitors. Financial information is used to bill or provide receipts to visitors in connection with their donations. To ensure the security of credit card and personal information, this Web site employs industry-standard security methods, including the Secure Socket Layers (SSL) protocol for the encryption of transmitted data. The Preeclampsia Foundation goes to great lengths to protect the confidentiality and integrity of any personal information you share with us over the Internet. In instances where we may partner with medical organizations to conduct research on preeclampsia, your participation may be expressly requested, but your permission would be required prior to sharing personally identifiable data with authorized medical organizations.

The Preeclampsia Foundation makes every effort to ensure the secure collection and transmission of sensitive user information using industry accepted data collection and encryption methodologies.

Donor Privacy PolicyThe Preeclampsia Foundation does not sell or otherwise disclose user information outside the organization. We will not sell, trade or share a donor's personal information with anyone else, nor send donor mailings on behalf of other organizations.

Should you wish to review or make corrections to your personal information, please click Login/Join at the top of the page and enter your login information. A page titled "Edit Your Details" will appear in the main body of the page where you can view and make corrections. If you wish to be removed entirely from our database, please email info@preeclampsia.org.

CookiesWe do not use cookies on the majority of our website pages. The donate pages do use "per session" cookies. Per session cookies last only for the life of your current browser load and use no permanent storage on your hard drive. The use of per session cookies is very common in modern Web sites.